


A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

by mia kulpah (nina_monk)



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Incredible Hulk - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Bruce has no powers, Except the werewolf, Multi, No Hulk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-27
Updated: 2015-09-27
Packaged: 2018-04-23 14:29:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,200
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4880374
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nina_monk/pseuds/mia%20kulpah
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bruce’s secret threatens to destroy his relationship with his partners.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Wolf in Sheep's Clothing

**Author's Note:**

> Another Tumblr request. Note, I am probably the worst werewolf-lore person. Outside of the basics and a few movies, I know very little about the current werewolf trends. I never saw Twilight or the Teen Wolf TV show (sorry, fans!) although I did see the movie Teen Wolf, way-way-way back in the mid-80s. So based on that…take this story with a grain of salt.

He figured he had a built-in alibi. Ironclad, maybe. He told Tony and Steve that once a month he had a standing invitation to help his cousin on her small dairy farm. And if he came back a little tired or disheveled it made sense; he didn’t work out often, not like Steve or Tony. He preferred a quiet, semi-sedentary life. Really, the only reason why he didn’t pack on pounds to his average frame was due to frequently forgetting mealtimes while keeping busy in the lab.

And. Well. The other thing. With the metabolic changes, and all.

He’d had few close calls, though, especially in the beginning. Steve and Tony both said they wouldn’t mind joining him and helping out (even though Bruce could see the not-so hidden shiver from Tony, when he mentioned manure and animal births), but Bruce kept telling them about his “reclusive” cousin, and how she “really wasn’t up for company” and they backed off from offering. Yes, he’d blatantly lied to them, but telling the truth would be…well. No less than horrific. For all involved.

But one particular Thursday, as he packed to go, he’d neglected to notice that the month's full moon also contained an eclipse - something he usually checked, because it meant he had a month “off.” Eclipses reversed the process, and even when the eclipses ended he’d still remain in his human form. And boy, did he live for those days.

This time he didn’t check for some reason; possibly because he’d had a late start getting out and a project he’d been involved with had gone into extra days - crucial days, days he really needed to prep. Feeling particularly absent minded, he kissed his boyfriends goodbye for the weekend, and went off to the small cabin in the middle of nowhere where he could “change” without worry (or without worrying them).

And as he waited for the full moon, and the change, he happened to turn on the TV, and it reminded him that no, the eclipse was due for 8pm that evening. And with an eclipse interrupting his change…he didn’t need to hide away. Laughing - because yeah, it was dumb of him not to check - he decided to head on back to Manhattan to spend the first of full-moon weekends with his guys.

But he hadn’t counted on Jen going to New York to visit _him_ , that exact same weekend.

“Honeys, I’m home,” he crowed, hoping the surprise would be worth it. But instead of the hugs and kisses he expected, he received scowls and crossed arms. “Uh, oh. What happened.”

“I dunno, Banner,” Tony said, glowering. “You tell us. Because your cousin’s here, and apparently she does _not_ own a dairy farm. Or any other kind of farm.”

“Oh,” Bruce said, swallowing.

“Yeah, ‘oh,’” Steve echoed. And man, did Steve look intimidating when he crossed his arms.

Jennifer strolled in at that moment, not exactly pissed, but definitely frustrated. “A _dairy farm_?” She hissed at him. “At least if you’re going with a lie, make it a good one.” She held up her hands like scales of justice. “Lawyer, dairy farmer. Yup, seems equally legit. _Not_.”

“I’m sorry…I–” he swallowed, and looked to Jen for support, but she gave him the eye.

“Bruce, you should’ve told them way before now. And you idiot, even I knew about the eclipse. That’s why I came up here, to surprise you. To take you out for an anniversary dinner.”

“With us,” Tony spat. “Unless of course, you’re running around on us, or some shit. And what does she mean you ‘should have told’ us? What the hell’s going on with you, Banner?”

Bruce sighed heavily and paced the foyer, not wanting - not willing - to discuss it, but knowing he had to.

He appreciated that, despite being furious with him, both Steve and Tony gave him space to form his thoughts.

“You…really won’t believe me.”

“Try us,” Steve murmured.

Jennifer squeezed his shoulder softly. “I know what he’s going to say,” she told Tony and Steve. “It’ll be tough to swallow, but. Trust him.”

“Thanks, Jen.” Shaking his head, he collapsed on a couch, and decided to just…talk. He couldn’t look at either of his boyfriends yet, deciding instead to stare at his hands and fingers as they continually knotted and fisted.

“So…I have a condition,” he said slowly. “A disease, inherited through my father’s line, with monthly painful, disfiguring flare-ups. And I’m not exactly the best person to be around when it happens, either.”

Steve and Tony’s faces softened, but Tony still wore a skeptical frown. “Not that it matters, but it almost sounds like you’re describing a menstrual period.”

Jen rolled her eyes. “ _God_ , Tony. No. Bruce is not on his period. For God’s sake, periods don’t fucking work like that.”

“Well, how do I know?” Tony fired back. “It’s not like–”

“Dammit, Fine. You want the details, Tony? I’m a _werewolf_. Got it? You happy now?” Bruce blurted the words, and the room froze. He shook his head; he’d tried the calm, scientific approach, but if Tony was playing the misogynist asshole, he had to cut to the chase. “I turn hairy. I grow a snout. Paws. Sharp canine incisors. A tail. Quadrupedalism. The whole nine yards.”

Tony immediately cracked up, but his laugh carried a sharp edge. “Yeah, okay. Banner, I get it. The truth is painful. But you better come clean, because this shit’s getting less and less hilarious, the more I listen to it.”

“I’m not joking,” Bruce said softly. 

Steve gave him a funny look. “Are you saying you go all Lon Chaney, with the full furry mask and weird snubnose, and fuzzy eyebrows?”

“Not…really,” Bruce said, rubbing his knuckles. “I look like a really big wolf, from what I’ve been told.” He briefly exchanged looks with Jennifer. “But with human eyes.”

“A…big, bad wolf?”

“Steve–c’mon... _Steve_!” Tony was suddenly livid. “You can’t stand there and tell me you believe this shit! There is no fucking way Bruce is a…a goddamn _werewolf_. That’s a load of crap.”

Bruce turned tired eyes to Jen, and she came beside him. He lay his head on her shoulder and she slowly stroked the curls tickling the nape of his neck. “It’s true,” she said solemnly, and Tony’s glare shot her direction. She simply shrugged at him. “So? Is it more incredible than space aliens, or people with phenomenal powers?”

“I don’t care,” Tony spat. “There are still scientific explanations for that, okay?” Tony was backing away, out of the room, and Bruce could feel his own heart breaking. “So don’t stand there and hand me a fucking line, Bruce, and don’t use your cousin for your dirty work. I...yeah. _Whatever_.”

Disgusted, he stomped out of the room, and headed for the lab.

Bruce hadn’t realized he’d shed a few tears, until Jen gently brushed them from his cheek. “Give him time,” she whispered to him. Bruce simply nodded.

“I can’t say I understand,” Steve murmured, and he cautiously approached. Bruce could tell he was unsure, but not afraid. Not like Tony. Not yet, anyway. “And I really can’t say I believe it. But we’ve seen weirder things, and Tony knows that. He’s probably a little hurt, because yeah. Your cousin’s right, you should’ve told us.”

“Yeah,” Bruce sighed. His fingers trembled and he used his thumb to wipe any errant tears. He shot both Jen and Steve a watery smile. “So. The truth. Yeah. Fat load of good that did, huh?”

**

Steve listened with understandable reservations, while Tony remained far away and standoffish. Worse, the closer the end of the month came, Bruce could smell the whiskey in the air, a tell-tale sign Tony’d been drinking too much. And it hurt, it really hurt. He had Steve, but Steve was only one part. He needed both men. His lovers. His confidants. Without both, he felt…lost.

Felt like howling at the moon.

“Come on,” Steve said softly. He nodded to their bedroom door, where Bruce had stayed away for the past twenty days. He gently took Bruce’s hand. “You can’t keep ignoring him.”

“I can ignore him as long as he ignores me,” Bruce muttered. He was being stubborn, but he’d decided he deserved to be, the way Tony had been treating him. “He’s acting like an idiot. His fucking pride’s in the way.”

“And yours isn’t?” Steve massaged Bruce’s hand as he spoke, but it still stung. “If you two just talked it out–”

“No, it won’t do any good.” Bruce pulled his hand from Steve’s grasp and grabbed blankets and pillows from the hall closet, per his usual routine the past three weeks. “He doesn’t trust me, Steve. He doesn’t believe me. And that…” he chewed his lip and breathed deep. “That hurts. More than anything.”

“I’m not sure if I believe it either, Bruce.”

“But you’re trying to, yeah? You’re not acting like a goddamn fucking–” He shook his head and randomly waved his hand. “Sorry. I’m–sorry.”

Steve sighed. “I can’t change your mind?”

“No,” Bruce said, and he dumped the pillows and blankets on the couch. “But you’ll both understand in about a week. I’ve…decided to stay. To change here.”

Steve leaned against the doorjamb and folded his arms. “Are you sure? From what you’ve told me, the transition can be rough. And unsafe for others, if you’re in mid-transition.”

“It is,” Bruce murmured. He grabbed a pillow and worried it between his fingers, then sadly peered at Steve. “But how else will either of you truly trust me, ever again?”

**

On the night of the full moon - the first full moon after he’d stopped sleeping with Tony and Steve, the worst month he'd had in a very long time - Bruce locked himself in his private office. The reason was twofold: One, the enclosure was a cube of glass walls so he had no privacy; his office connected to the joint lab he and Tony shared, and he wanted Tony and Steve to see and understand. Secondly, the place was relatively quiet and out of the way, and contained. If he “lost” himself, as he sometimes did, he couldn’t escape into the Tower and cause a panic.

“Ahh–” Grunting, he splayed his fingers across his chest. The first of several “twinges,” the warning signals of imminent change, had begun. He had about fifteen minutes, before he lost himself for the next twenty-four hours.

“Jarvis,” Bruce murmured. “Please send my message to Steve and Tony now.”

**“Of course, Doctor Banner.”**

Bruce double checked everything in his office, making sure nothing could tip and fall in case he couldn’t remember who he was or where he was. He never remembered what it felt like; he often blacked out from the pain. But if the Wolf fought for dominance and won, well…

Swallowing, Bruce removed his glasses and placed them in his desk drawer. He slid his suit jacket from his shoulders and hung it on a peg behind his door, and then slowly began unbuttoning his shirt.

He hissed again as a stronger twinge burned his thigh, and he shot a nervous glance to the door. He really, really hoped both Tony and Steve listened, and implicitly followed his instructions. Otherwise–

Bruce gulped again. He didn’t want to think about “otherwise.”

**

“Tony…”

“No.”

Steve scowled at him and slammed his book shut. “This is ridiculous. How long will you hold a grudge? I can’t take the two of you sniping at each other like school kids. You should both–”

Tony slammed down his glass and small droplets of whiskey spilled over the bar. “Goddamn it, Steve. We’re not having this conversation again, all right? If that asshole wants to pretend he’s a werewolf and skip out on us once a month that’s fine, but until he tells me the goddamn truth, I’m not gonna stand for–”

 **“I apologize for interrupting, sirs,”** Jarvis intoned. Steve huffed silently as Tony drained his glass.

“Saved by the bell, Rogers,” Tony spat. “What is it, Jarvis?”

**“Dr. Banner has sent you both an urgent missive that he needs you to hear, at this particular point in time.”**

“Oh, whatever,” Tony snorted, and he went back behind the bar for a refill.

Steve’s frown deepened. “Could you play it for us, Jarvis?”

Tony scowled at him, but Steve didn’t care. **“Certainly, sir,”** Jarvis said, and both waited for Jarvis to cue it up.

 _“Uh, hi, guys_ ,” they heard, as Bruce’s nervous voice wafted through Jarvis’ speakers. _“I figured the only way you’d really believe anything I’ve said in the past month is if you saw it for yourselves. It’s dangerous, really dangerous for me to change in the Tower, but…I don’t see any other options. Especially with how stubborn Tony is.”_

“Me?” Tony squaked. “How about–”

“Hush,” Steve spat. “Just listen, for once.”

_“-–kind of problematic. But I told Jarvis to send this message to you both as soon as I felt the start of…well. Anyway. I’m currently locked in my office, and I’ve ‘wolf-proofed’ it for the duration. If…if you want confirmation, you have about ten minutes from the close of this message to watch the magic.”_

They both heard the sarcasm in Bruce’s dry wit.

_“But here are the conditions: Do not, under any circumstances, open the door before I finish changing. It may look horrible, and you may want to. But don’t do it. If you do, I…don’t know who I am. I’ll probably attack you and hurt you. Second, once I have changed, I…might not be in the right mind to recognize either one of you right away. There’s a roast chicken in the fridge; bring it down. It might help. Third, I’ll be in wolf form for a full 24-hours. That’s how it works. If part of ‘me’ is still cognizant, you can let me out and I’ll try to communicate with you but yeah…human speech will be impossible for a while. Just know I’m in there, and I’m trying my best. But, and this is the important part: If I’m completely feral, keep me locked inside, and don’t come in. It’s. Ah. It’s safer that way._

_“Anyway. I’ve told you what you needed to do. You want proof, you have…nine minutes and thirty seconds from….mark.”_

**“Communication ends, sirs.”**

“Ridiculous,” Tony spat, but Steve watched how nervously Tony’s fingers twitched. “It’s a trick, that’s all it is.”

“Only one way to find out,” Steve said quietly. He headed for the fridge and found the chicken in a serving dish. He made a move to head out. “You coming?”

Tony nibbled his lip. “Yeah…yeah. Okay. All right. Let’s get this freak show over with.”

***

They heard the screams before the elevator reached the lab floor.

Breaking into a run, Steve was the one who reached the lab first, with Tony on his heels, but Tony realized Bruce had used all the emergency protocols and Tony had to use both the retinal and the hand scanner and _goddamn it Bruce, why did you–_

_“Tony–!”_

“Wait… _got it!”_

He raced inside first and slammed his fist against Bruce’s office. He couldn’t see him. Was Bruce dying, and he wasn’t fast enough to save him? Torn apart, limb from limb from some wild assailant and it was his fault for not protecting him?

Steve pinned Tony’s arms back because he’d been ramming his fists against the glass, over and over, because he couldn’t see him, couldn’t see his body, and Steve was telling him to calm down and listen - just _listen_ and _wait…_

Tony’s ragged breaths pulled back to something less rapid and shallow, and he tumbled into Steve’s arms, doing as the other man said. The screams had deepened. Became uncomfortably guttural and deep. As if deep in a well.

Or from the throat of a wolf.

“No,” Tony whispered, and he jerked from Steve’s arms, because it couldn’t be true, dammit, a…a wild animal had gotten into Bruce’s office, and had torn the poor man to shreds, and they would be mourning his body and…

_No..._

For ten seconds, they heard heavy breathing. Panting. Tony took tentative steps to the door, and the panting abruptly stopped.

“Bruce…?”

Something howled back. Followed by a throaty growl.

Tony jumped when Steve touched his shoulder. The blood had drained from the soldier’s face and the look across his features was entirely foreign, and impossible to pinpoint. “He…” Steve swallowed. “That’s him, Tony. That’s Bruce.”

That seemed to snap him back. “No, I can’t believe it.” He reached for the doorknob, even while Steve tried pulling him back. “I…I have to see it. I have to–”

**_“RAWR RAWH RAH!”_ **

The black and grey creature jumped to its hind legs, towering over Tony’s head, wolf-like jaws snapping and saliva flinging from its jowls. Tony yelped and stumbled back as it growled low and bared its teeth, and its eyes… _God. Those were Bruce’s eyes_. And those eyes followed him and refused to blink as he rushed back to Steve. 

Seconds later it began pawing at the door and slamming against it…and how strong were those locks again?

“Okay, okay, I believe it now,” Tony panted. His shook as he blindly groped the soldier’s arm. “So our boyfriend’s a wolf. A feral wolf. A goddamn feral wolf…”

“Werewolf,” Steve whispered.

The creature began whining and desperately pawing at the door and tossing its body against the frame, and Tony knew the sounds would haunt his nightmares for eternity.

Steve wasn’t shaking, exactly, but his steps were uncertain as he slowly approached the door, chicken in hand. “Bruce said…this might help,” he said cautiously.

Tony swallowed. “Bruce also said not to open the door if he acted feral. How the fuck is that not feral, Steve?”

“I…I don’t know,” Steve murmured. The Bruce-wolf had ceased making noise, in that same eerie way animals made no noise before an approaching storm. “But that’s still Bruce in there, no matter what, Tony.”

Tony’s dark laugh bordered on manic. “You willing to bet your life on that, Cap?”

Steve said nothing. Instead he cautiously bent down at the door, even as Bruce-wolf growled. Steve tore off a bit of the chicken, and waved it around. 

“Are you hungry, Bruce?” A black nose snorted at the gap between the door and the tiled floor. Steve tentatively placed the meat between the gap, and immediately it disappeared, followed by animalistic chomping and more pawing, and throaty whines.

“I…don’t think he’s feral, Tony. I think he’s just hungry.” Steve put his hand on the doorknob and slowly twisted.

“Don’t–!”

“It’s not locked,” Steve said, ignoring Tony’s desperate shouts as he attempted to shove more of the meat inside.

But as soon as he opened the door a crack, Bruce-wolf slammed his entire weight behind the frame, knocking Steve over. It barked and growled as it barreled past, speeding to Tony as if possessed. Tony shouted and covered his face even as the beast knocked him down. Steve said something but Tony couldn’t hear him as hot, fetid breath brushed his throat and warm saliva from slavering jaws dripped down his neck.

“Don’t move, Tony–”

“Who’s moving? Not me! I’m not, I’m not–!” he shook so hard he thought he’d fly apart, but instead of the sweet release of death from his throat getting torn out, he felt the animal relax on top of him, and a small, wet tongue gently lapped his throat.

Swallowing, Tony cautiously let down his arms.

“Easy, Tony, don’t spook him,” Steve said.

“I…I’m not,” Tony said shakily. He slowly opened his eyes and caught a face full of wolf-tongue, and something not unlike a grin panted happily at him. Tony opened his mouth, then shut it. Then, because it was the only thing he knew to do in situations like this, he fired a retort.

“You scared the fucking shit out of me.”

The wolf - which at this point Tony knew, without a doubt, was a fully-thinking Bruce in a wolf body - sighed _just like_ Bruce, and gave a small lap across Tony’s cheek. “Ugh. Have you had your shots? And we need to get you some breath mints…”

Bruce-wolf huffed and used its two front paws to push off of Tony, maybe a little harder than it needed to, since Tony felt a rib dig into his side. Tony slowly got to his feet as the wolf circled Steve’s legs and heeled, and peered into the other man’s eyes. His tail thumped when Steve motioned to the chicken.

Both Tony and Steve were awestruck as the animal - no, _Bruce_ \- calmly choked down the meat, and licked his chops at them.

“Sooo,” Steve sighed. “Uh…what now?”

Tony scratched his head. “I guess…we have a really big dog for the next few days.”

Bruce huffed, apparently not happy with being called a “dog,” but he padded over to them and licked both their hands, possibly as a peace offering for the way he’d acted.

“Let’s go upstairs, Steve, ah…and Bruce. Maybe we can figure out a way to communicate with you for the next day or so.”

**

While Bruce was in wolf form, he didn’t leave either of their sides, apparently attempting to help them understand. “Bruce” could tell Tony was still wary, so he clung to Tony’s side the most, licking his hands whenever they were free. Tony finally broke down and told him, “Bruce, if you don’t quit licking me, I won’t get anything done” but it was the first time he’d used Bruce’s actual name, instead of pointing or not acknowledging him at all.

At ten that evening Bruce curled into a sad little puddle at the foot of their bed before both Steve and Tony let him up on the covers. It was Bruce’s bed as well, after all - he was just…a lot more furry than they were used to.

But Steve reminded Tony that Bruce hadn’t slept with them for over three weeks, and Tony frowned, realizing he'd acted like a jackass all month. Which, he later realized, kind of explained Bruce’s initial reaction to him.

By the next day, both Steve and Tony were used to the new Bruce, and spoke to him the same as they would have at any other time. He found ways to communicate with them, as long as the questions were yes or no, using a series of barks and whines. It got Tony thinking, though, and he figured he’d ask Bruce about it later, when he returned.

But at seven pm, he gently tugged Tony’s sleeve, and he motioned to their closed bedroom door. “Is it time to change back?”

Bruce whined, and yawned.

“Oh. Okay. Uh…do you need some privacy?”

He whined, but let out two barks: **_Yes._**

“Should we get anything for you?

One bark. **_No._**

“Okay. Uh…we’ll be here for you though, if you need anything.” Tony opened the bedroom door and Bruce paused once, to lick his hand, As if to say, **_everything’s fine, Tony, don’t worry._**

**

The change back wasn’t nearly as torturous in reverse. Bruce didn’t shout or scream, and neither Tony nor Steve noticed much apart from a few whines and one or two barks. Thirty minutes later, though, a disheveled and very sleepy-looking Bruce was wrapping a robe around his naked form, and bumping into a wall as he stumbled into the living room. 

Steve approached him first, and Bruce half-collapsed, half-nuzzled into his chest. “How are you feeling?”

“Exhausted,” Bruce sighed.

Tony came beside him next, and gently maneuvered Bruce into a hug. “I’m so sorry.” He’d already apologized to Bruce-wolf, but not the human Bruce. “So sorry I didn’t believe you.”

“It’s okay,” Bruce murmured. He yawned and gently stroked the back of Tony’s neck. “I can’t say that I wouldn’t have reacted the same, had I been in your shoes. Gotta prove it to us dumb scientists, after all.”

Tony’s lashes were wet as he softly kissed Bruce. Then he licked the left half of Bruce’s face.

“Aagh–!”

Tony chuckled. “That’s what it felt like, you mongrel.” He bumped Bruce’s shoulder, and Bruce bumped him back.

“Come on,” Steve told them. “Dinner's waiting. We weren't sure what to get, so we pretty much ordered everything on the menu from that Asian restaurant you love."

Bruce laughed. “Well. At this point, I’ll probably eat every last bite.”

From then on the three of them prepared for Bruce’s monthly changes, and it seemed as if the changes became less traumatic with both Steve and Tony by Bruce’s side. Tony found a company working to develop human “speech” for dogs and cats, and they were able to create a rudimentary voicebox Bruce could use in his wolf form. It was a little odd at first, but Tony and Steve got used to it and they came to enjoy their boyfriend’s new little quirk. They enjoyed it because it was Bruce, after all. And now they could love every furry part of him.

**Author's Note:**

> Click [here](https://www.pinterest.com/pin/355502964314458854/) if you want to know what Bruce-wolf looks like.


End file.
